Otoacoustic Emissions

A Moment of Science · Jan 5, 2026 · 2m

Y:Stop that Don...why'd you put that microphone right next to my ear?

D:I was trying to record your otoacoustic emissions.

Y:My oto..what emissions?

D:Your otoacoustic emissions. Noises that your ears generate and emit.

Y:You mean my ear gives off noises?

D:That's exactly right. When you hear a tone or noise, the noise waves are transmitted to a part of your inner ear called the cochlea. These noises stimulate hair cells in the inner part of the cochlea that send electrical signals to your brain to be processed. Other hair cells in the cochlea are also stimulated, and these generate waves…